SALT LAKE CITY — Temple blessings and welfare principles highlighted Sunday's topics as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints concluded its 181st annual general conference.

And LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson touched on both subjects in one of his two addresses Sunday, declaring the church's welfare program as "inspired of Almighty God" and speaking of a myriad of Mormon temples — from those in Kirtland and Salt Lake to New Zealand, Tahiti and Brazil and the one under construction in Rome.

"I express my undying gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the temple now being built in Rome and for all of our temples, wherever they are," he said.

"Each one stands as a beacon to the world, an expression of our testimony that God our Eternal Father lives, that he desires to bless us and, indeed, to bless his sons and daughters of all generations. Each of our temples is an expression of our testimony that life beyond the grave is as real and as certain as is our life here on earth."

With the LDS Church commemorating the 75th anniversary of its welfare program, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, used one of his Saturday addresses to call on Latter-day Saints to participate in a "Day of Service."

The theme continued Sunday morning, as Presiding Bishop H. David Burton and Sister Silvia H. Allred, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, spoke of the anniversary and their personal experiences of watching and witnessing welfare principles in action.

"We honor those innovative giants whom the Lord raised up to organize and administer the institutional outreach to needy members of his Church," Bishop Burton said. "We honor those who, in our day, reach out in countless and often silent ways to be kind to the poor, clothe the naked, minister to the sick and visit the captive.

"This is the sacred work the Savior expects from his disciples. It is the work he loved when he walked the earth. It is the work I know we would find him doing were he among us today.

From humble beginnings 75 years ago, the welfare church has ennobled and blessed the lives of tens of millions, Bishop Burton added. "The prophetic welfare plan is not merely an interesting footnote in the history of the church. The principles upon which it is based defines who we are a people. It is the essence of who we are as individual disciples of our Savior and exemplar, Jesus the Christ."

Saying Relief Society "has always been at the heart of welfare," Sister Allred saluted the LDS women's role in the program and principles.

"The pure love of Christ is expressed as we give selfless service," she said. "Helping one another is a sanctifying experience, which exalts the receiver and humbles the giver. It helps us become true disciples of Christ. …

"I pray that the Lord will bless each of us with a greater sense of mercy, charity and compassion. I plead for an increase in our desire and ability to reach out and assist the less fortunate, the distressed, and those who suffer; that their needs may be met, that their faith may be strengthened and their hearts may be filled with gratitude and love."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf noted the apostle Paul's dramatic conversion and warned Latter-day Saints to not "spend their days waiting on the road to Damascus" but instead increase belief one step at a time, to hearken and heed, to serve others and to share the gospel.

"God loves you. He hears your prayers. He speaks to his children and offers comfort, peace and understanding to those who seek him and honor him by walking in his way," he said, adding "Let us not wait too long on our road to Damascus; let us courageously move forward in faith, hope and charity, and we will be blessed to discover the light we are all seeking on the path of discipleship."

Popular Comments

Welfare with work attached! Imagine that! Liberalism (socialism) is free
everything with no work attached= dependancy= loss of human dignity= just
another form of slavery! Work for your welfare and you have a perfect way to
care for the poor! I think
More..

7:35 p.m. April 3, 2011

Top comment

higv

Dietrich, ID

We are taught to be charitable with our own property. Not take money from one
person to give it to another. How can you be blessed for not doing something
willingly.

7:40 p.m. April 3, 2011

Top comment

Rifleman

Salt Lake City, Utah

Re: Pagan | 11:57 a.m. April 4, 2011

You need to slow down and catch
your breath. The reason people are responding to your comments is because they
are inaccurate.

You are confusing the annual tithing settlement with
the temple
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With his Deseret News tenure beginning in 1984, Scott Taylor has worked as a reporter and/or editor for the newspapers City, Utah County, Sports, Olympics, LDS Church News and Faith/Ethics sections and has worked in seven more ..